Equation Involving Radicals

What makes it hard for me to solve the above equation is that it has 3 terms with radical expression. If it only has one or two radical expression I could easily eliminate the radicals from the equation after isolating it then go on with solving the equation that arise. But suppose I have more than 2 terms having radical expression(like on my given problem), how could I eliminate the radicals?

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Hi;

Looking at the graph I am not too optimistic that can be solved using algebra. Does that graph look like a polynomial? Of course not. There are numerical methods for such problems. But first you always graph!

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.If it ain't broke, fix it until it is. Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Hi

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

17:36pm here in Serbia.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Have a nice day, too.

By the way, cute avatar

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

hi 295Ja

This method will always (I think) work for questions like this. Just one thing to watch out for: it will give genuine solutions; it may also throw up answers that are not solutions. So you have to check each answer you get.

square each side

simplify and re-arrange

square again

simplfy

factorise

Now why is it necessary to check these?

consider a simple example.

This quadratic has two solutions y = -5 and y = 5.

The act of squaring has made an extra answer.

So could x = 3 be a solution?

So x = 3 works.

Could x = -2 be a solution?

where i is the square root of minus 1. (if you've not yet met complex numbers just reject -2 as you 'cannot square root a negative')

So there is one answer, x = 3

Bob

ps. Stefy; My turn.

That should be

You'll find this then leads to the same quadratic as mine.

Children are not defined by school ...........The FonzYou cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Btw, our teacher told us it is better if we make the irational equation so that all signs in front of radicals are positive. That is why I transferted one term to the other side.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Hi Bob

Of course he said. But I forgot. I think it is so that we make sure neither side is negative.

Hi 295Ja

You're welcome. Hope everything else was okay during the storm.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

I never said tachers new everything. It just seems logical. Even our book says it is better if we did itbthat way, so that we are sure both sides are positive.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: Equation Involving Radicals

Hi bobbym

Nice one. But I think you should explain why -2 isn't a solution.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.